Councillors were at city hall Wednesday hearing from dozens of citizens at an infrastructure committee meeting on a recommendation that future approved bike lane projects be paused. The proposal comes ahead of anticipated fall legislation that would require cities to complete traffic impact assessments for bike lane proposals, which would then be at the discretion of the province to approve. The legislation could also call for bike infrastructure to be ripped up if it doesn’t meet provincial requirements. An initial recommendation from city staff proposed that future bike lanes where construction hasn’t started be paused ahead of the legislation. An updated attachment added late Tuesday said the city would continue the work, but infrastructure slated for next year would see further review. “Nothing is being cancelled,” said deputy city manager Sara Nichols. “We are evaluating our options, considering the trade-offs and design alternatives.” Councillors ultimately voted down city administration’s recommendation. Dozens of Edmontonians spoke at the committee meeting, a majority of which leaned towards scrapping the recommendation and moving on with the proposed bike lanes. “Major city building initiatives often face opposition at first, but leadership requires looking beyond short-term controversy for community benefit,” said speaker Terry Skidnuk. One speaker said the province was using legislation to divide Albertans. “We’ve elected three consecutive municipal governments that are pro bike lane, on pro-bike-lane mandates that were the primary issue of the election,” said Brian Markley. “They have a duty to fulfill their democratic mandate and push for bike lanes despite what the province does.” Mayor Andrew Knack has repeatedly said that he would rather the province focus on other transportation matters like speed and road renewal. “I’m not at all interested in overreacting to any provincial legislation. At the end of the day, they’re going to do what they want to do,” Knack told CTV News Edmonton. “More people are speeding significantly on our streets and I’d like to make sure that we’re dealing with that.” Edmonton has seen an increase in fatal crashes, with nearly half of them a result of excessive speeding, since the province nixed photo radar across the province in April 2025. “We’re seeing more injuries and deaths on our roadways, and having safe, protected infrastructure is a critical part of building safe communities for everyone,” said Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador. “I’m concerned about any potential introduction of legislation that would compromise that. “We’ve seen a loss of photo radar … and we’re seeing the consequences of not having it.” Part of the city’s Safe Mobility Strategy, Vision Zero aims to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2032. Part of that strategy is expanding Edmonton’s active transportation network. Over the last four years, the city has built 40 kilometres of new shared pathways and bike lanes. But bike lanes in neighbourhoods like Delton and Gold Bar have caused controversy, as the infrastructure reduces parking and residential access. Speaker Michael Gabriel, a resident of Holyrood and lifelong cyclist, said he is for bike lanes, but feels the city isn’t doing enough to consult with residents and notify people about where bike lanes are planned. “It’s like we’ve been invited to the party as people are already walking out the door,” Gabriel told CTV News Edmonton. “I would like council to take an honest listen to the actual community and maybe consider some modifications to the plan – not an elimination.” While council voted down administration’s recommendation, city planners will still be able to make small tweaks to new bike infrastructure, like which side of the road lanes are built on. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
